The best communications starts with listening

Three buttons, labelled talk, listen, door, including in braille. A finger hovers over 'listen'
In: Communications strategy, Writing a crisis communications strategy, Social media strategy

One of the biggest mistakes organisations can make with regard to social media is to jump straight in.

In fact, one of the best uses of social media from a business perspective is to simply listen and analyse all the relevant conversations about your organisation, your brands – or your competitors.

With a vast array of free and paid-for tools available to do just that, we always advise clients to make more time to understand what’s driving relevant conversations, and who the most influential people participating in them, than speaking.

You might not hear what you want to hear, but the information is bound to be valuable. And it’s relatively easy to tap – using free tools like Tweetdeck or Google Alerts, and paid-for tools like Brandwatch, Sysomos or Radian 6 – all of which we’ve used and can help you set up.

Then, when you know what the issues are, you can decide when, and how to join in those conversations. And you also know who might help you kickstart the conversations you want to be involved in.

Written by
Chris Reed
I set up Restless Communications in 2011 to create strategic and integrated campaigns for brands I believe in. Away from work I shout at Arsenal, listen to loud music, and walk my dog.
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